FuzziBunz cloth diapers and other green baby products

Category Archives: Environmental Considerations

So, if you’ve been using cloth diapers, you likely already know that you shouldn’t use commercial dryer sheets in the dryer. But why?

Quite simply it’s because the chemical filled substance that makes the dryer sheet feel waxy is designed to melt with the dryer’s heat and disperse all over your clothing, thus reducing static and adding a long lasting scent. When it comes to your diapers, that waxy stuff coats your diapers and causes a residue that will build up and make your diapers repell. What does that mean? LEAKS!

In fact, if you look at the back of a box of dryer sheets, this is what you’ll see…(click to enlarge)

Comforting right? Labels like this are one reason why our family doesn’t use dryer sheets for any of our laundry. Diapers included.

So what to do? Well, you can use nothing in your dryer if you wish, or consider re-useable dryer sheets or wool dryer balls.

PurEcoSheets for example (pictured above) are great at reducing static and you use them over and over again. Just throw them in the dryer and you’re done. They last for years.

Wool dryer balls on the other hand (pictured below) provide a couple of benefits that justify their higher cost. Aside from softening all your clothing, being all natural in materials and reducing some static, they also help reduce the drying time by circulating clothing so it’s more exposed to hot air all around and by absorbing some moisture themselves. The more balls, the merrier, however to give you an idea, a 4 pack will reduce dry time by aprox. 25% and 8 will cut your dry time by about 40% for an average load. How long do they last? They last for years as well, the color doesn’t transfer onto clothing, not even whites and hey, they’re adorable are they not?

No one wants a diaper that is not healthy and safe whether it be disposable or cloth. Here are just a few reasons why cloth is best for baby:

– Fewer, less severe diaper rashes
– No toxic carcinogenic chemicals
– Earlier potty training than babies diapered in disposables
– Disposable diapers have been linked to asthma.
– The plastic in disposables prevents the diaper from breathing and increases the scrotal temperature for boys possibly leading to male infertility